Vancouver Canucks Beat New York Islanders 4-1 In a Return To UBS Arena With Adam Boqvist Back In the Lineup

The Canucks are a strange team. They traded away their leading scorer, and they won in a 3-0 shutout over the New York Rangers. So, this was a difficult game to figure out for the Islanders. On paper, the Canucks are not as good as the Islanders. However, hockey games are not played on paper; they are played on a sheet of ice, and the Canucks are playing well. With the loss, the Islanders’ five-game home winning streak is over. How could the Islanders lose in this game?

Scoring Summary Of Canucks-Islanders

The Canucks won their last game 3-0, a shutout victory against the New York Rangers on Tuesday. They played well, which is a little surprising, given that they traded their leading scorer, Quinn Hughes, to the Minnesota Wild. Conor Garland, Evander Kane, and Liam Öhgren scored, while seven different Canucks hit the scoresheet. Thatcher Demko saved all 23 shots he saw.

In the first period, David Kampf scored to put the Canucks up 1-0. Then, it was the Kiefer Sherwood show. He scored twice, once on the power play, and the period ended with the Canucks leading 3-0.

In the second period, there were no goals scored, but the damage was done. In the third period, the Islanders and Canucks traded goals. Anders Lee scored for the Islanders, and Sherwood scored an empty net goal, completing the hat trick. The game ended with a 4-1 Vancouver win.

Boqvist is Back

Adam Boqvist was back in the lineup for the first time since December 6. Marshall Warren was recalled from the Bridgeport Islanders on Thursday morning, but he will be a healthy scratch on Friday. Warren is from Long Island. Boqvist has 1 assist, 11 blocked shots, and 4 hits through 11 games this season.

Islanders Head Coach Patrick Roy said that Boqvist has been patient and professional as a healthy scratch this season, staying ready for an opportunity. “He’s been a great teammate, and he’s been doing everything right,” Roy said. “I’m happy to see him play.”

Barzal Making Up For Horvat

Mathew Barzal’s playmaking ability has been on display for the last seven games. The 28-year-old forward has 8 points in that stretch, including an assist in each of the last four games. He and Lee both have 8 points since the start of December. Barzal is riding a five-game point streak overall. Barzal leads the team with 17 assists this season. He is trying to make up for the absence of Bo Horvat.

White Hot Ilya Sorokin

Ilya Sorokin is a perfect 5-0-0 in December. He owns a league-best .942 save percentage since the start of the month. He has allowed just 10 goals on 172 shots. The Islanders’ goaltender stopped all 29 shots to shut out Detroit in their last meeting. Sorokin has been strong against Atlantic Division opponents this season, posting a 5-2-1 record with a 2.11 GAA, .923 save percentage, and two shutouts.

News and Notes

• This is the first of two meetings between the Islanders and Canucks this season. The Islanders face the Canucks on the road on January 19 to close out the season series. The Islanders are a disappointing 0-4-1 against the Canucks in their last five games on home ice.
• The Islanders’ power play has resurged as of late, scoring a goal in five of their eight games. Their power play ranks eighth in the National Hockey League with a 27.3% in December so far.
• Emil Heineman set a new career-high with his 11th goal of the season on Tuesday, lighting the lamp in his 100th career game. Heineman’s 11 goals came in 34 games this season. He had 10 goals in 62 games with the Montreal Canadiens last season. Heineman has 17 points this season and is just one point away from tying his career-high point total of 18 from last year.
• Demko started against the Islanders. He had won two of his last three games and posted a 1.35 goals against average, .938 save percentage, and one shutout.

Conclusion

The Canucks are not a good team, but they are playing well despite trading away their best scorer. This is the first game of a back-to-back series for the Islanders. They play in Buffalo tomorrow at 5 p.m.